


It Was Just Like A Movie

by IsabelArmuelles



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Johnny is a Sweetheart, M/M, Sicheng is my whacky son I love him so much, Soft johnjae for the win, Strangers to Lovers, Taeyong and jungwoo are basically in the background like Bust Down Thotiana, jaehyun is whipped, jaehyun works at the theater, johnny is one of the regulars, like a lot of fluff, movie theaters, these tags suck but please bear with me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 05:37:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18404189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsabelArmuelles/pseuds/IsabelArmuelles
Summary: Jaehyun falls for the guy that always shows up alone at the movie theater every Thursday night just to watch whatever movie plays at 7.





	It Was Just Like A Movie

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this is my first fic for the NCT fandom, and what a better way to start than with a little something for the Johnjae nation!!!
> 
> English is not my first language so please be gentle!
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading <3

Jaehyun wasn't a big fan of his job, but there were some enjoyable things that made it bearable. Working in a movie theater had it's ups and downs, like any other low-pay kind of job.

 

On one end, he had the nicest boss ever, a middle aged woman with a very kind and mother-like attitude, that allowed employees to watch movies for free on their days off, and even went as far as offering half-price popcorn, soda combos and free candy if said employees came with a date. 'All in the name of love', she had once said from behind the counter, staring fondly at the joined hands of the couple in front of her as she handed them a chocolate bar for free along with their order. The blonde girl,- who Jaehyun recognized as one of the ushers that worked during the weekends,- shyly smiled up at their boss and hid her blushing face on her lover's shoulder, receiving a chuckle from both her date and their boss.

 

But just like any other job, not everything was as sweet as free candy. Whenever a group of noisy teenagers walked into the place, all co-workers shared a knowing glance, which meant the little heathens were going to cause trouble and most likely start a popcorn war inside one of the theaters. Those moments meant that at the end of the movie, employees had to rock-paper-scissor to see who would have to help the cleaning team tidy up the place. Another thing most of the staff hated, were spilled drinks. The sticky syrup from the slurpies and sodas was a nightmare to clean up, as once explained by a poor boy that had to spend around two hours trying to mop the goopy mess off the floor.

 

Still, Jaehyun considered himself lucky for having that job. He enjoyed the different faces that came in every day, the memories and good moments people shared by bonding over something as simple as a movie. Couples watching romantic films, parents coming in with their kids to enjoy family-friendly movies, or even friends who dared each other to watch horror movies, even if none of them were brave enough to stay until the end of the film.

 

But the thing Jaehyun enjoyed the most, as strange as it was, were the regulars.

 

Well, more like one regular in particular.

 

It started well over a year ago. Jaehyun was working in the ticket booth,- his favourite spot, if he was being honest,- smiling brightly at every costumer and waving goodbye once they bought their tickets. There weren't many costumers, since it was a Thursday night, but the place was still full enough to be considered busy. Jaehyun was playing around with his phone, waiting for the next person to come by, eyes trained on the never-ending stream of messages from his friend groupchat, making a half-assed attempt at keeping up with the conversation.

 

 

 **Snoopy** : i'm just SAYING,,, if anyone were to be crowned the biggest slut in this friend group,, it should be me

 

 **Dodo** : Jungwoo,,, sweetie,,,,

 

 **Dodo** : how can u say that when a whole Taeyong exists??

 

 **Kittyong** : u fuckin rude bitch

 

 **Peachyboy** : he ain't wrong tho

 

 **Dodo** : i'm never wrong

 

 **Peachyboy** : i retract my previous statement

 

 **Snoopy** : you fools,,, i'll show u,,, no one can take that crown away from me

 

 **Dodo** : that's not even a nice title to begin with

 

 **Dodo** : besides,,, u look as slutty as a grape

 

 **Dodo** : very unconvincing

 

 **Kittyong** : what did grapes ever do to u

 

 **Peachyboy** : be careful or you'll trigger one of his traumatic-kindergarten-lunchtime war flashbacks

 

 **Dodo** : fuck off u ugly rat

 

 **Dodo** : and Jungwoo u better calm your ass before i choke you

 

 **Kittyong** : oooh kinky

 

 **Dodo** : ...

 

 **Dodo** : see what i mean

 

 **Snoopy** : fair enough

 

 

"Uh, excuse me?" A deep voice interrupted Jaehyun's scrolling. He had completely forgotten he was supposed to be working, not texting his annoying friends. With an apology at the tip of his tongue, he looked up only to freeze just as the words were about to leave his mouth.

 

Two beautiful honey eyes stared back at him, warm and inviting if it weren't for the slight dip of the brows on top on them. Jaehyun blinked once, twice, trying to get out of his slight trance. The beautiful eyes lightly sparked with interest at Jaehyun's lack of response.

 

Soon enough the person chuckled, amused eyes turning into small crescents that seemed to hold the world in them.

 

It wasn't until Jaehyun realized said person was laughing at his awestruck reaction that he finally snapped out of it.

 

"H-hi, how may I help you?" He managed to stutter out, mouth suddenly feeling dry, for some unknown reason. The man in front of him smiled and pointed at the screen right above Jaehyun's head, which displayed the numerous movies scheduled.

 

"Hi, I'd like one ticket for whatever movie is playing at seven."

 

"... Excuse me?" Jaehyun asked, slightly confused.

 

"One ticket for whatever movie is playing a-"

 

"No, yeah, I got that part. It's just... sorry to sound so rude, but are you really not gonna pick a movie?"

 

The man grinned. "Nope. Just need a distraction, so whatever you chose for me is fine."

 

That was rather... odd. No one really asked for his opinion, most people were already sure of what to watch whenever they came along. But the fact that this complete stranger,- with absolutely breathtaking eyes and kind face that Jaehyun hadn't stopped staring at in their few minutes of interaction,- was actually asking him to pick a movie? Jaehyun couldn't really wrap his mind around it.

 

"Wait, hold up," he began, raising both hands and making a 'stop' motion. "You're asking me," he pointed at himself, "to pick a movie for you." He ended, pointing at the stranger.

 

The man nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

 

Jaehyun frowned, still confused and unconvinced. But the man was patient, calmly waiting for Jaehyun to grasp the simple,- yet somehow complex for him, apparently,- concept of letting a stranger chose a movie for you.

 

"Are you sure? Like, are you really sure?" Jaehyun asked, eyes squinting at the handsome stranger. "Like, you don't know me at all. What if I chose a terrible movie and you hate it?"

 

"I'm sure you wouldn't be that mean. Besides, judging from your appearance, you seem like someone with taste." The man said, briefly glancing down at Jaehyun's assortment of bracelets and rings. They were mostly gifts by his friends, since Jaehyun was a sucker for accessories, but he was rather picky with his jewelry. He mostly enjoyed wearing multiple simple rings on his fingers, and then one big ring just for the extraness of it. He preferred dangling bracelets, with a couple of charms here and there, nothing too fancy but pretty enough to compliment his look.

 

Jaehyun blushed, even if it wasn't that much of a compliment. He managed to stutter out a weak 'thank you', which earned him another chuckle from the stranger.

 

Jaehyun decided he really liked that sound.

 

"Well," he began trying to focus back on the task at hand; giving the stranger a dimpled smile, "I highly recommend the new action movie. It has too many explosions for my taste, but the dialogue is good and the plot really captivates you."

 

"Then one ticket for that one, please." The stranger said, fishing his wallet form his back pocket and taking out a slightly crumpled bill. Jaehyun soon finished operating the computer and handed the stranger his ticket and change.

 

"There you go! Enjoy your movie, uhh..." Jaehyun said with his usual cheery 'costumer' voice, but soon realized he didn't even know the name of this costumer he had interacted so much with. The man picked up on Jaehyun's hesitant voice, and offered a smile.

 

"Johnny."

 

"Oh, okay! I'm Jaehyun, by the way. Well, enjoy your movie, Johnny!" Jaehyun said, waving at a retreating Johnny, who smiled softly once again and waved back before leaving.

 

Jaehyun hadn't thought much of it, only briefly commenting it to his boss and watching her teasing smile as she told him, 'with that charming smile of yours, I'm sure he'll be back in no time'.

 

And maybe she was right, because the next week, around the same time, Johnny came again, and asked for another ticket to 'whatever movie was playing at seven'.

 

Jaehyun was intrigued, to say the least.

 

It soon became a normal thing for Johnny to come in every Thursday, fifteen minutes before seven, to buy a ticket for any movie Jaehyun would chose for him.

 

It was a little routine. A tradition, Jaehyun would like to call it, where they would talk for a bit, sharing a joke or two before Jaehyun handed the ticket to Johnny. He always made sure to be the one operating the ticket booth at the time, so that he could get his weekly dose of sparkly honey eyes and soft deep voice.

 

Somewhere along the way, Jaehyun had developed a small crush on the taller man. Sometimes, when his week wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, he would look forward to Thursday, always hoping his favourite regular would come in. And who could really blame him? After an entire year of the same routine, of sharing lame jokes and soft smiles, who wouldn't crush on a man as handsome and sweet as Johnny?

 

"You're a fool, that's what you are." Doyoung told him one day, taking a sip of Jaehyun's smoothie as they rested in a small booth at a slightly crowded restaurant, both of them tired of walking around trying to find a good birthday present for Jungwoo. "If you like him so much, you can either ask for his number, or ask him on a date. Option one leads to option two, and the boldness of option two leads to option one. Stop being a coward."

 

Jaehyun decided to never seek out Doyoung's advice ever again.

 

It was Thursday, and surprisingly, the place was empty. Thanks to a set of benefiting circumstances, a few holidays had accumulated, turning into a whole week of vacations for most of the folks in the city, which meant roadtrips and flights to other places, which meant no costumers for the movie theater.

 

Jaehyun's boss had called him to ask if he could please,- for the love of whatever god was up there in the sky,- work during the vacation week. And knowing he had no plans at all beside listening to Doyoung ramble through the phone about how Jungwoo and Taeyong kept trying to out-slut each other ("Jaehyun, it's like I'm invisible. Do you know how long I've been in love with those two dumbasses? I honest to fuck wish I could be their endgame. I'm going to punch Jungwoo in the throat for suggesting that stupid game. Stupid feelings."), he agreed without hesitating.

 

He was bored out of his mind. The only people that decided to come in to work were that hyperactive newbie with a loud voice, Yukhei, and the reserved guy that usually worked with Jaehyun on Mondays, Sicheng.

 

Yukhei had suggested they played a game, and after much discussing, they ended up playing Heads Up on Yukhei's phone. The game lasted a few rounds,- with Sicheng absolutely killing it, much to Jaehyun's amusement,- before an old couple came in and bought tickets to a romantic film. Yukhei had to leave to operate the film, so Jaehyun was left with a tired Sicheng and a whole lot of boredom.

 

His thoughts wondered over to Johnny. What could he be doing on this vacation week? They had briefly talked about it the previous Thursday, something about 'staying home and eating my weight in ramen', to which Jaehyun had chuckled, commenting that he wished he could do the same. Still, he wouldn't really get his hopes up on seeing Johnny anytime soon, since most of the other regulars hadn't come in either.

 

"You're spacing out." Sicheng said, stopping Jaehyun's train of thought. He turned to look at his co-worker, raising a brow. "Is it about your crush?"

 

"Uh-"

 

"Don't worry, he'll come in." Sicheng said, going back to watching a youtube video on his phone.

 

"How do you know?"

 

"I'm always right." Sicheng shrugged.

 

"That's fair."

 

Soon enough it was 6:45 p.m. Johnny would usually come in at this time, talk to Jaehyun for a bit, and then take his ticket.

 

No Johnny in sight.

 

Jaehyun checked his phone.

 

 

 **1** **unread** **message** **from** **Doyoung**.

 

 **Dodo** : These two fuckers just bet money on their stupid game,,, i am so close to fucking LOSING IT

 

 

Jaehyun sighed, deciding to do something to help his friend out of his misery.

 

 

 **Peachboy** **created** **the** **groupchat** ' **This** **is** **and** **intervention** , **horres** '

 

 **Snoopy** : what

 

 **Kittyong** : what

 

 **Peachboy** : listen,,,

 

 **Peachboy** : idk if u guys noticed, but Doyoung is head-over-heels for u two and i'm tired of listening to his complaints

 

 **Peachboy** : do something u crackers

 

 **Snoopy** : chill, we were planning on confessing after i won the game

 

 **Kittyong** : excuse u bitch whomst tf told u u're winning

 

 **Snoopy** : me

 

 **Peachboy** : how do u plan to do that???

 

 **Snoopy** : easy

 

 **Snoopy** : the best way to defeat the ultimate boss is messing with the ultimate boss

 

 **Snoopy** : i'm fucking u Yongie uwu

 

 **Kittyong** : .......

 

 **Kittyong** : u motherfucker

 

 **Kittyong** : i can't resist to that

 

 **Kittyong** : fine u win

 

 **Peachboy** : good

 

 **Peachboy** : now do something about ur other man

 

 **Kittyong** : don't tell me what to do

 

 **Snoopy** : shut up ugly

 

 **Peachboy** **has** **left** **the** **groupchat**

 

 

6:50 p.m.

 

Still no Johnny.

 

Jaehyun pouted, glancing over at Sicheng's video as a source of entertainment for the time being.

 

"What is that guy doing?"

 

"Cleaning a rug with a toothbrush."

 

"Why would he do that?"

 

"Entertainment. Look, he just started crying."

 

"Oh. Mood."

 

6:55 p.m.

 

"How long is this video?"

 

"Like two hours long. I think half of it it's just him having a mental breakdown over the rug, though."

 

"I question your sanity, Sicheng."

 

"Cool. Me too."

 

7:00 p.m.

 

Jaehyun had officially given up hope. He let out a defeated sigh and slumped down on his chair, pouting like the big baby he was. Sicheng snorted, amused by his behavior.

 

Of course Johnny wouldn't show up, literally nobody did. The man was probably somewhere warm and tropical, enjoying his week long vacations like every other citizen. Jaehyun couldn't really blame him.

 

But he was still upset.

 

Johnny had never missed a Thursday.

 

Maybe he was looking too deep into it, they weren't even officially friends. Sure, Jaehyun cherished every single interaction he had with him, but he doubted the other did the same. Suddenly he felt an uncomfortable weight in his chest.

 

"You're sad." Sicheng commented, not looking up from his phone. Jaehyun was certain that his co-worker hadn't spared him a single glance in the past ten minutes, so he was confused to say the least.

 

"How did you-"

 

Sicheng finally paused his video and looked up at Jaehyun, eyes boring into him like laserbeams. "First things first, stop questioning me. I know a lot and I'm always right." Jaehyun was slightly terrfied, but he still nodded firmly. Don't get him wrong, Sicheng was very smart and an amazing person to work with, but he was so, so fucking weird. "Second of all, go wash your face, maybe stretch a bit, and then come back when you're not so upset. Your aura is stressing me."

 

Who was Jaehyun to question him?

 

He did exactly as ordered, went to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face, fixed his hair up a bit, and even played around with the rings on his fingers for a few minutes, before sighting defeatedly and exiting the bathroom.

 

"Sicheng, is my aura not stressful anymore-" he began as he approached the ticket booth, but soon came face to face with the man he'd been waiting for.

 

Johnny was here.

 

And he looked breathtaking.

 

His usually black hair was now a soft shade of brown, fluffed up and curly, covering his eyes a bit. The gigantic sweater he was wearing looked as comfortable as ever, and Jaehyun had to resist the urge to run to him and hug him tightly.

 

"J-Johnny, hi..."

 

"Hello." Johnny answered, beaming that beautiful smile that Jaehyun had grown so in love with.

 

"I thought you weren't coming today..." Jaehyun commented, fidgeting with the rings on his fingers. He felt heat rise to his cheeks.

 

"I'm sorry for coming in so late, one of my friends wants to be a hair stylist and he asked me if he could use me for practice, and we lost track of time." He explained shyly, noticing the way Jaehyun couldn't get his eyes off his new hairstyle. He reached up and combed his bangs a bit. "Do you... do you like it?"

 

Jaehyun finally snapped back from his Johnny induced stupor and cleared his throat before answering. "Yeah! Uh- I mean, yes, I really like it, you look handsome- wait, I mean-" Jaehyun blushed, deciding on shutting up before he said too much. "Would you like to buy your ticket?" He managed to get out.

 

Something flashed in Johnny's eyes, achingly similar to disappointment, but it was gone in an instant. He gave Jaehyun another smile,- smaller, and slightly less bright,- before nodding. "Of course."

 

Jaehyun moved back inside the ticket booth, only to notice that Sicheng wasn't there anymore. Odd. He turned back to face Johnny, who was standing in front of the counted, looking expectantly at Jaehyun.

 

"So..."

 

"So..." Johnny parroted.

 

"One ticket for whatever movie is playing at seven?" Jaehyun asked, even if he already knew the answer. For some reason he was extremely nervous, trying to avoid eye contact with Johnny, even if he had looked forward to his soft honey eyes all week. He tried to busy himself with tapping on the screen in search for the movie menu.

 

"Actually, two tickets, please." Johnny said, voice soft enough to be considered a whisper. Still, Jaehyun heard him, and frozen in place.

 

"Two?"

 

Johnny took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before opening them and popping the question.

 

"Would you like to watch a movie with me? Like a date?"

 

If Jaehyun could see himself in a mirror, the only thing he'd be able to notice would be his jaw hanging open and his dumbstruck expression.

 

"D-Date?" He intelligently managed to stutter out after his initial shock had worn off. Johnny nodded, his curls bouncing lightly with the movement. The man was too cute for his own good.

 

"I've wanted to ask for a while, but I never got around to doing it since the only time we saw each other was during your work hours and it didn't feel appropriate." At Jaehyun's lack of words,- or lack of reaction,- Johnny began to panic. "You can totally say no if you want! I would never force you to do something you wouldn't like, and it's completely okay if you don't want to-"

 

"Of course he wants to!" Sicheng appeared behind the counter, startling both Johnny and Jaehyun. He held a tray with a bucket of popcorn and two sodas in his hands, smiling mischievously. "Here, hold this." He handed the tray to a confused Johnny, and began tapping on the movie menu, registering the movie and Jaehyun's name. "Two tickets for a romantic comedy, center seats." He glanced at Jaehyun's flabbergasted expression and chuckled. "The tickets and food are on Jaehyun," Sicheng then printed the receipt and handed it to Johnny. "Employee benefits." He explained.

 

"Uh..." Jaehyun was still at loss of words,- honestly, who could blame him?- so Sicheng gave him a small push towards the employee's locker room.

 

"Go get changed out of your work clothes, you got a date, doofus." He then turned to Johnny, who wasn't much better than Jaehyun, and smiled at him. "One of our coworkers already started the projector. Enjoy your movie!"

 

Jaehyun exchanged a glance with Johnny, one the said 'we better listen to him', and turned towards the locker rooms while Johnny walked towards the theater.

 

After changing back to his regular clothes,- he gave himself a pat in the back for coming to work in a decent outfit, not like the ratty joggers he wore last Thursday,- he walked out, only to find Sicheng staring at his phone with a straight face, another video of someone cleaning a rug with a toothbrush and crying over it playing on his phone. Jaehyun quickly thanked him, giving him a side hug,- surprisingly Sicheng allowed it, the boy hates physical contact,- and jogged over to the theater, waving at Yukhei who stood by the room that controlled the projector screens.

 

Johnny was sitting right in the middle of the theater, his face illuminated by the commercials playing before the movie. Jaehyun took his sweet time admiring the other's beauty, the way his lips curled up in a smile whenever something funny happened on the screen.

 

Finally deciding to approach the other, Jaehyun climbed up the steps in sets of two, catching Johnny's attention. Jaehyun carefully plopped down on the seat next to Johnny, and turned to stare at his lap, blushing like crazy.

 

"Hi again."

 

"Hey."

 

"Do you want some popcorn?" Johnny offered, extending the box over to Jaehyun. He took a small handful and ate silently, letting the sound of the commercials fill the awkward silence.

 

Right as the movie started, Jaehyun realized that he had already watched this movie, and so had Johnny. It was the same one he recommended the previous week, the love story being messy yet captivating, and the romantic moments playing with Jaehyun's heart strings like and acoustic guitar.

 

Damn it, Sicheng.

 

The fucker knew what he was doing.

 

Still, he sat the beside Johnny as they watched it again. The air between them was tense, and filled with awkwardness. Jaehyun had dreamt of going on dates with Johnny, of holding his hand and staring into his precious honey eyes, but now that it was actually happening, he couldn't help but act like a nervous, jittery teenager in love.

 

The small, annoying voice inside his head,- that usually sounded and awful lot like Doyoung,- scoffed at his behavior.

 

"Jaehyun." Johnny called, snapping him out of his thoughts. Jaehyun turned to looked at him, suddenly noticing how close they were to each other.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"I'm sorry about this."

 

Jaehyun frowned, confused. "What are you apologizing for?"

 

Johnny raised a hand to scratch his neck, avoiding eye contact. "This date, me asking you out completely out of the blue and not waiting for your actual reply. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable, that wasn't my intention."

 

Jaehyun could see the way Johnny's face fell, how his eyes lost that little shine that Jaehyun found so endearing. His mouth started yapping away before he could stop himself.

 

"I always wait for you on Thursdays." He began, mentally punching himself for saying something so dumb. Johnny perked up at that, turning to look at him. "Ever since you came here about a year ago, I've always looked forward to Thursday. When we first met, I was completely awestruck by how handsome you were, by how soft and pretty your eyes were. I always ask my coworkers to exchange positions with me at least half an hour early so I can get the chance to talk to you. And it makes me happy. Talking to you, that is. You're really funny and your laugh is so nice and the way your eyes crinkle when you smile makes my heart race and-"

 

Jaehyun realized he was rambling at this point, so he forced himself to shut up, covering his mouth with both his hands. He didn't mean to embarrass himself, but Johnny made him feel all types of things, and he felt like he was going to explode at any moment if he didn't tell someone.

 

He took a deep breath and decided to finally confess his feelings. It was about time.

 

"I like you, a whole lot. I've like you for a while now."

 

Johnny's shocked expression slowly morphed into the brightest smile Jaehyun had ever witnessed. Even if the movie was still playing, all he could focus was on the beautiful man before him, beaming so brightly it would put the sun to shame.

 

"I really like you too."

 

And that was the final blow. Jaehyun could hear a whole orchestra playing love songs in the background, and it wasn't part of the movie soundtrack. His eyes widened comically, and he was almost sure he let out a gasp.

 

"Really?"

 

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, really. Why would I always come every Thursday if it wasn't to see you? I could easily just come another day, or just download the movie form one of those pirate internet sites. I came here to see you and talk to you, and it took me all this time to finally grow a pair and ask you out."

 

"I'm glad you asked me out." Jaehyun mumbled, but Johnny was able to catch it.

 

"I'm really glad too." Johnny glanced at their empty box of popcorn and soda cups, before picking the box up and dumping said cups inside it. "How about we go eat some pizza and talk? We've both watched this movie before. My treat, of course." He suggested.

 

Jaehyun smiled. "I'd love to."

 

As casual as ever, Johnny slipped his hand into Jaehyun's, intertwining their fingers together. Jaehyun couldn't help but feel warm all over as Johnny pulled him out of the theater and out the door, not before discarding their trash and bidding goodbye to Sicheng and Yukhei.

 

Walking down the fairly empty streets, Jaehyun huddled up a bit closer to Johnny, enjoying the warmth emanating from the other. He felt Johnny squeeze his hand softly to get his attention, and turned to look at his gorgeous honey eyes that had him so enamoured since the very beginning.

 

"I'm very happy." Johnny commented, goofy smile playing at his lips.

 

Jaehyun answered with one of his own, dimples and all. "I'm very happy too."

**Author's Note:**

> I wanna thank Citybird (@ctzensolidarity on twitter) for being my beta and being such a lovely person, they truly deserve the world!!!
> 
> I'm on twitter as @IsabelArmuelles if you wanna talk!!!
> 
> Thanks for reading uwu


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